Esmuer Bistim Tel Nua
Esmuer Bistim Tel Nua
Delt was one of those people I'd never forget for the rest of my life, even though our encounter had lasted only a fleeting moment.
A man who, in order to kidnap Ragnis, mobilized no less than two wyverns, a wyvern handler, and four individuals approaching full knight status, all striving for perfection in some backwater village.
Though because of that bastard I had to do some sky diving without a parachute... just because he made me thrash on the edge of death didn't mean my amazement at him disappeared.
He was the one who made me attach an entirely different meaning to severing a person's neck, which was originally meant to finish them without pain.
Even now, when I recalled Delt's eyes as he accepted a blow that could never be dodged, never be blocked, there was a strange chill I couldn't place.
Those eyes understood everything in less than a second and ultimately accepted it—not with resignation, but with understanding. Even though he was an enemy, there was something in them that forced me to respect him. What kind of man had he been? Why had he ended up working against Ragnis? Plenty of questions followed, but there was no way to answer them, so I simply shelved them.
That incident became the catalyst that made me put blind faith in the superiority of surprise attacks, while simultaneously teaching me the lesson that I still must never let my guard down.
Why suddenly dredge up old memories, you ask?
Sitting alone and brooding in a cafe, I'd been reminiscing about this and that when the memory suddenly surfaced. Before I knew it, that had turned into me wondering what really separated the strong in this world, which naturally brought me back to Gwilb and that Rag fellow, who'd caused bloodshed that morning.
Ever since I started handling Magic Power, I'd been getting by without major problems. Sure, I had a close call for the first time in a while fighting those Demonfolk bastards a few days ago... but thankfully, that fight was still within expectations. It hadn't been the kind of situation where death threatened me with every swing of a sword.
Ultimately, the only time I'd truly faced a situation beyond my expectations was that double trap Delt had set up.
Things were going incredibly smoothly for me now, but sooner or later the day would come when I ventured into Demonfolk Territory or wherever else I had to go to kill the bastard who destroyed my hometown. There was no guarantee things would stay this smooth, so honestly, I wanted a chance to face someone overwhelmingly stronger than me in the safest situation possible and get a concrete sense of where I currently stood.
But that seemed like the hardest thing to resolve.
If I ever got the chance to spar with Sir Ekaf or Radnelbandes, it might help, but they were all absurdly busy, so I couldn't exactly impose on them. Even the hotshot knights of House Ogatorf didn't have enough free time to give me one-on-one training, so that desire had remained unresolved.
"My damn fate..."
I subtly glanced out the window and clearly saw the fervent devotees lurking about, just waiting for me to emerge from the cafe.
No, wait. Did those brats not have classes? The fundamental duty of a student was class, not stalking an idol.
Left alone while Ragnis attended extra magic lessons, I'd come to the cafe that had been recommended to me when I first arrived at the academy and was having coffee and dessert.
It wasn't that I particularly wanted any of this. I'd simply heard from Zeke that in the Empire, someone drinking tea alone without even a book or newspaper was assumed to be lost in thought and generally left alone. I happened to need a break from my insane followers.
That was when the shop door opened, and a white-haired girl of unknown identity strode toward me with an overly confident gait.
Just from her walk alone, there was no mistaking she was nobility, but since this was the academy anyway, nobles were a dime a dozen.
There was nothing particularly surprising about hair and skin so white they almost looked translucent, as if she had albinism. Golden eyes gave off a slightly over-the-top, edgy fantasy vibe, but... this other world had plenty of stranger things. Amber-colored eyes had existed in my past life too depending on pigmentation, so there was no reason to be shocked here. The way hers glowed so beautifully was simply a little fascinating.
And the way all that combined to form a cute appearance just like a tiny doll wasn't exactly common, but this was no surprise either. I was a man who had cohabitated with an elf for over five years, after all. I was confident I wouldn't be surprised by any ordinary level of beauty.
The problem was that gaze. The instant she entered the shop, spotted me, and locked eyes, my instincts sounded a small alarm.
Eyes so calculating they seemed to analyze a person down to the bone. She didn't look even twelve, but those were absolutely not the eyes of a child. At the very least, she had to be older than she looked—perhaps simply small for her age—and she was clearly accustomed to being in a position of authority over other people.
Having finished my judgment up to that point, I asked the girl calmly as she approached, still locking eyes directly with me.
"Would you care for some cake?"
"Uh, huh?"
"It seemed you were approaching because you had something to say to me, but eating and drinking alone felt a bit off. Or would you at least like a beverage?"
"Is, is that so? In... that case, a beverage and cake..."
What was this? The gaze from moments ago felt as if it had vanished without a trace in her hesitant demeanor. Had I been mistaken? Was she just a girl after all?
It was still hard to get a read on her, but if she really was an ordinary girl she might find me intimidating, so I put the butler training I'd learned at House Ogatorf to use and escorted her properly.
The height difference alone approached a full 50 centimeters. If she really was a child, simply facing an opponent so much bigger could feel threatening. I didn't want to be remembered as the bastard who made a young noble girl cry after coming all the way abroad.
So with the most amiable posture I could muster, I rose from my seat, pulled out a chair so she could sit, helped her get seated, recommended menu items before she could agonize over the choices, even picked a matching tea and placed the order. When I returned to the table, the girl was looking at me with eyes full of surprise.
"Wha, that was remarkably skillful."
The effortless authority in her speech. A distinctive way of talking. Whatever else she was, she had to be a fairly high-ranking noble. And the fact that she still carried herself with impeccable manners suggested that she genuinely held a high position, rather than merely being soaked in deranged noble arrogance like Gwilb.
"I learned enough not to be an embarrassment."
"...Do you know who this one is?"
"No. I apologize, but we are meeting for the first time, and I am not well-versed in high society, so I have no idea."
But I did realize that the manner of speech naturally attached to her, something a fairly aged elder would use, was severely cute. Was that how grandpas talked? From my past life's memories, in novels, existences like royalty or dragons referred to themselves with 'this one,' but there was no way a dragon was striding around in the middle of the Empire... and since Eselua, who was royalty, had been blonde, she probably wasn't royalty either.
Well, she might be a somewhat high noble, but as long as she wasn't imperial or a dragon, I could manage somehow!
"Is, is that so. You treat this one so well despite not knowing who this one is."
"I may not be noble-born, but I'm not a lout who hasn't learned basic etiquette."
"Mm. Birth is of no importance. Even within the Empire right now, those worse than butchers wearing the mask of nobles litter the streets. A person's quality is not bound by such things."
This tiny thing said something perfectly sensible without even stumbling over her words. Too cute! Maybe the Empire's future was brighter than I'd thought. I almost wanted to show her to that bastard Zeke. She was so admirable that I decided to throw in a little flattering praise.
"A keen insight. As expected of a noble from an Empire whose academy welcomes both commoners and nobles."
"Mm...? How did you know? Did you not say you did not know this one?"
"That's because you aren't wearing a school uniform, so you're not a student. If you were an envoy who came to see the Hero, your retinue would have accompanied you inside. And above all... the students who were watching me from outside vanished the moment they saw you."
The girl, who'd been sending a dubious look, opened her eyes wide in an unbearably cute way, alternated her gaze between the window and me two or three times, and then burst into laughter.
Honestly, the students had practically vanished in fright as if fleeing, so even I was starting to get a little scared about who the hell she was, but I didn't show it.
"Oh my! This one did not think that far. Anyway, I heard you have been at the academy only three days, and already you have followers?"
"It's merely that a few people have overestimated me despite my not being particularly capable of teaching others."
"Hah. 'Insufficient ability to teach others' indeed! As expected. You have no intention of being humble about the skill that defeated the Hero and killed the young lion of Rudra!"
The girl had picked up the intent behind my wording perfectly, without missing a beat. With a faint smile, I became certain of one thing.
I didn't know about anything else, but she was no ordinary girl.
Judging by the employee who set down the cake and tea with trembling hands, she had to be a young lady from a very powerful family. I was starting to want to ask outright who she was, but the moment I saw her eyes light up at the cake, I decided to just enjoy the sight for now, like I was watching an adorable little sister.
"Did you know? Sweet foods are said to help when you're using your head. They're useful not only for calming anger, but for clearing your thoughts as well."
Was it said that glucose was like fuel for the brain? It had definitely been knowledge I'd picked up somewhere in my past life, but I couldn't say it here, so I just smiled slightly and gave a suitable answer.
"I had no idea. But considering I always crave sweets when I have a lot to think about, it sounds plausible."
"Indeed. When I'm buried in work, I end up looking for cake almost every hour. It's quite the problem."
'It's nice that I haven't had any today yet, so there's nothing to worry about!' the girl declared before confidently digging into the cake. I'd wondered whether it would suit her palate, but judging by her pleased expression, she didn't seem particularly picky.
Honestly, I'd expected her to stuff her cheeks full, munching like a hamster, but the girl observed table manners so elegant they were even archaic, cutting the cake into small pieces to eat.
What a shame... such a damn shame!